I'll Take Care of You
by FamousNoOne
Summary: Lily is tired of being known as a goody-goody. James is there the night she snaps. What will happen between the two? This story shows both POVs.
1. Hogsmeade Lily POV

She didn't care what the other people said or thought. She was gonna sing her heart out tonight.

Petunia always said that she sounded like a dying cat, but that wasn't going to stop her tonight. She'd had six butterbeers, she'd endured a brutal session of mocking earlier, and she was tired of being "Miss Perfect Prefect." She was seventeen, dammit! It was time she do something fun!

When she stepped up on the bar of the Three Broomsticks, Lily pointed her wand to her throat and cast _Sonorus_, then started to belt the Wicked Sisters song that was playing.

Now, when she had first stepped up, there were lots of wolf whistles and cat calls, but once she started singing, there was nothing but the music and Lily's voice. She imagined they were all enthralled by her voice, so she started to become more confident. She began to dance a bit, but she accidentally misplaced her foot and fell. Before she could comprehend what had happened, she felt someone's arms around her.

"Whoa, Evans. Maybe you should stay on the ground," a male voice said. Lily looked up to see a very handsome, black-haired boy with glasses. Then her alcohol-addled brain put two and two together…

"Potter, put me down!" she yelled, wriggling. Potter just chuckled and adjusted her into a more comfortable position.

"No chance, Lily-Flower. I'm taking you back up to the castle," he said, walking towards the door. Lily was too drunk to fight, but her mouth was perfectly capable of spewing insults.

"Sorry, boys. It seems Evans had too much to drink, so I'm taking her back up to the castle so she can sober up." Through her double vision, Lily saw that Potter was talking to Remus, Black, and Peter, who all had amused expressions on their faces.

Walking out into the warm May air, Lily suddenly felt sick. Her stomach turned and she put her hand up to her mouth to help hold it in.

"You feel alright, Evans?" Potter asked. Lily shook her head and jumped out of his arms then fell to her knees and emptied the contents of her stomach while Potter held her hair back for her. He rubbed her back until she was completely finished. She pushed his hands away and sat against the wall of the building behind her while Potter crouched next to her and pushed her hair behind her ear and handed her a handkerchief.

"Feel better?" he asked. She shook her head and, for some reason, held her arms out. Potter chuckled and scooped her back up into his arms and began the trek back to the castle.

xXx

Lily couldn't understand why he was helping her, but she was glad he was because she probably never made it up these stupid stairs. Once they reached the common room, she once again tried to get out of his arms to no avail. He walked her up the stairs to the boys' dormitories and made her lie down in his bed. She still wasn't feeling well, so she didn't fight him anymore. She took the water he offered her. She let him transfigure her clothes into some appropriate pyjamas. She let him tuck her in and kiss her forehead.

"Don't worry, Evans," he whispered into her hair. "I'll take care of you." And then she drifted into sleep…


	2. Hogsmeade James POV

"Come on, Moony! Exams are finally over and we have a Hogsmeade weekend _without curfew_! Let's go and enjoy it!" Sirius begged Remus. James laughed at their antics as he straightened his tie. He'd heard that Lily had gone down to Hogsmeade to watch over the Sixth and Seventh years, those without curfew, and he was going to get the girl. This was the last Hogsmeade weekend before the summer, and then it would be three months before he got to see her again!

He heard Moony sigh and say, "Fine," and Sirius and Peter yelled with excitement. James shook his head and waited for the guys to get ready.

xXx

The four of them were laughing when they walked in to the Three Broomsticks, but then they heard the screeching noise coming from the bar. James and Sirius laughed while Peter and Remus stared dumbstruck at her. Oh, Lily-Flower. She was obviously drunk and, for some reason, her awful singing wasn't enough so she started her drunk dancing. However, she slipped on some spilled beer and fell. Thanks to his Quidditch reflexes, James quickly sped over and caught Lily right before she hit the floor.

"Whoa, Evans. Maybe you should stay on the ground," he said to her. She stared up at him, drunkenly confused, until the realization hit her.

"Potter, put me down," she slurred, hopelessly trying to wriggle out of his grasp. He chuckled and adjusted her, then made his way to the door. This girl needed some sleep.

"No chance, Lily-Flower. I'm taking you back up to the castle," he stated. She threw some insults at him, but he didn't really take them to heart. When he walked over to the rest of the Marauders, he noticed that they had some pretty amused expressions on their faces. He was going to get a lot of crap for this one.

"Sorry, boys. It seems Evans had too much to drink, so I'm taking her back up to the castle so she can sober up." They all laughed a bit and nodded. James then pushed his way out the door and walked down the road toward the castle. Suddenly Lily gasped and her hand shot up to her mouth.

"You feel alright, Evans?" he asked. She shook her head so he quickly but carefully put her down and held her hair back while she got rid of the alcohol in her stomach. He rubbed her back, hoping to make her feel a bit better, and when she was finished she meekly pushed his arms off her back and sat against the wall of Honeydukes. He knew she still didn't feel well, so he crouched down and pushed her hair away from her face and transformed a leaf into a handkerchief so she could wipe her face.

"Feel better?" he asked after a few minutes. She shook her head and held her arms out pitifully. He knew she wasn't going to be able to make it back by herself, so he chuckled and picked her up, careful not to jostle her too much lest she still have some alcohol in her system. She threw her arms around him and passed out on his shoulder. That is, she passed out until he reached the castle and had to make his way up all those stairs. Because, though Lily was small, she wasn't made of feathers, so he still had to work to get up the stairs which woke her up. She grumbled something about "stupid stairs" which made him chuckle again. She was funny when she was wasted.

When they reached the common room she almost flopped out of his arms but he tightened his grasp a bit. She stopped fighting completely and let him take her up to his room and put her on his bed. She was extremely tired, he could tell, because she didn't fight when he brought her a glass of water. She just drank it and lied back down. Nor did she argue when he transfigured her clothes into some modest pyjamas and tucked her into the blankets.

He couldn't help himself. He pressed his lips to her forehead lightly, whispering "Don't worry, Evans. I'll take care of you." She smiled slightly and he heard her breath deepen and even out a few seconds later.

He summoned a house elf and asked for some extra blankets and pillows and made a makeshift bed on the floor next to his. He had a feeling Lily was going to have a lot of questions when she woke up.


	3. Dorm Lily POV

Lily stirred awake groggily. She sat up, suddenly wishing she was still asleep. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach. The light coming through the window made Lily feel like nails were being hammered into her brain so she covered her head with her pillow, which smelled strangely like man… She sniffed it again…and was reminded of James Potter. She groaned. Why did her pillow smell like Potter? She slowly lifted her head up, removed the pillow, and looked around. Instead of seeing the Sixth year girls' dormitory, she saw a room full of sleeping boys. In fact…

"Oh, god, it's the Marauders," she mumbled. She quickly but quietly removed the blanket from her body and stepped out of the bed. When she put her feet on the floor, though, there was a loud creak. Stupid floorboards, she thought. Suddenly James' head popped up from the other side of the bed, and damn if he didn't look sexy. His eyes were narrowed from the light, his hair was messier than usual, and his lips were puffy. Lily shook her head slightly; certainly this was just an after-effect of all the alcohol.

"Evans? How do you feel?" he asked, standing. Whoa. Potter slept in nothing but his boxers. Didn't see that one coming.

"Lightheaded," she answered honestly. Potter rushed over to her side and gently pushed her back into a sitting position on the bed. She put her head in her hands and he crouched down, keeping his hands on her arms. She looked at him and smiled softly, not believing that Potter could be this nice to her.

He rubbed her arms and asked, "Better?" The tingles on her arm suggested otherwise, but she nodded.

"What happened last night, Potter?" she asked him. He chuckled deep in his throat, causing a chill to run up her spine.

"Funny story, actually. Me and the other guys were at the Three Broomsticks, where you were on the bar singing, and you were clearly pissed, and then you tripped on some spilled butterbeer and I caught you. I decided that you needed to come back up here, so I brought you up, after you vomited, of course, and got you a glass of water and transfigured your clothes, then tucked you in and slept on the floor. And here we are," he answered, running his fingers through his hair. His gorgeous, messy hair. Lily could only blink and stare at him. And then what he said registered.

"Oh, Merlin, I vomited in front of you?" Lily asked, revolted. "Tell me I had the decency to turn away."

"Of course, Lily-Flower. You're nothing if not a lady. And don't worry, I held your hair back for you," James said, obviously proud of himself. Lily was amazed. He held her hair back? For some reason, this made everything he'd ever done wrong fly out the window. Lily grabbed his face and brought it up to hers without even realizing what she was doing. James was shocked, but it didn't take long for him to kiss her back.

I'm snogging James Potter, she thought to herself. And I'm loving it.

Lily brought her hands up to rest in Potter's messy hair, and he wrapped his arms around her, forcing her to lie back on his bed. She had just broken away from him to take a breath when she heard someone clear their throat.

James jumped off of her and threw a pillow at the person. Lily wanted to do the same.

"Hello, Evans," she heard Sirius Black say. Then she remembered where she was and she jumped up, too.

"It's not what it looked like," James said. Sirius let out a bark of laughter, which startled Remus awake. The teenage werewolf fell out of his bed with a curse and, once he realized Lily was in the room, an apology.

"Um, I'm going to… I need to… See you later, James!" Lily said, running out of their dorm, down the stairs, past the early risers in the common room who raised their eyebrows or whistled, and up the stairs to her dormitory.

When she got there, the rest of the girls were still asleep so she tiptoed over to her trunk to get her clothes for the day. Once she got to the bathroom, she closed the door and leaned against it.

She had _snogged_ James.

She had _liked_ snogging James.

She was calling James Potter _James_.

Sixth year was weird.


	4. Dorm James POV

*Creak*

James shot up and looked around wildly. His eyes landed on Lily, who was standing and staring at him like a deer in headlights with her bright auburn hair swept around from sleep. Her emerald eyes were wide and bright and her mouth was slightly open in disbelief. She must not have wanted him to know she was sneaking out.

"Evans? How do you feel?" he asked, standing.

Lily looked like she was going to fall as she answered, "Lightheaded." James rushed to her side and made her sit back on the bed. He didn't want her falling down and hurting herself. She didn't look too good, but he knew she would hate him for babying her so he just crouched in front of her and kept his hands on her forearms, trying to comfort her. She gave him a smile and he rubbed her arms, glad that she wasn't yelling at him like she usually was. Surely this was a good sign.

"Better?" he asked, wondering if she would be okay to stand. He didn't want any of the guys to wake up with Lily here. She would be so embarrassed, and he didn't want her to have to deal with that.

She nodded and asked, "What happened last night, Potter?" James couldn't help but laugh as he remembered everything.

"Funny story, actually. Me and the other guys were at the Three Broomsticks, where you were on the bar singing, and you were clearly pissed, and then you tripped on some spilled butterbeer and I caught you. I decided that you needed to come back up here, so I brought you up, after you vomited, of course, and got you a glass of water and transfigured your clothes, then tucked you in and slept on the floor. And here we are," he said, running his hands through his hair. He was nervous that she was finally going to lose it once she heard the whole story of what she had done.

"Oh, Merlin, I vomited in front of you! Tell me I had the decency to turn away," she said, looking horrified.

"Of course, Lily-Flower. You're nothing if not a lady. And don't worry, I held your hair back for you," James said, feeling proud of himself when he saw the look of amazement of her face. He'd actually done something right by her for the first time ever. Now, if only he could keep up this streak she'd be his. He wondered what he could do next to make her happy—

She grabbed his face and pulled him up to kiss her.

What was happening?! She was kissing him! Willingly!

It didn't take long for James to realize that he should take advantage of this. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her and gently pushing her back onto his bed. He couldn't believe he was actually kissing Lily Evans! The love of his life! Her lips were soft and she tasted sweet, and he never wanted to stop kissing her.

Unfortunately, she broke away far too soon. James sighed, full of a happiness so extreme he felt as though he would burst.

"Ahem," he heard one of the Marauders clear his throat. He jumped off of Lily, cursing under his breath and throwing a pillow at Sirius, who he could now see was the one who interrupted them. His black-haired friend just dodged it and laughed.

"Hello, Evans," he said with a knowing smile. Lily's head whipped around and she jumped off the bed, too.

"It's not what it looked like," James said stupidly. He didn't want his Lily-Flower to feel embarrassed to the point that she would never talk to him again, which is exactly what would happen if Sirius didn't stop.

Sirius let out a bark out laughter which woke Remus up, and he was so startled he fell right out of his bed, making Sirius laugh harder. Remus cursed, then apologized to Lily. The boy was so proper.

"Um, I'm going to… I need to… See you later, James!" Lily yelled, running right out of the dorm. James just stared after her.

"Mate, did she just…?" Sirius trailed off.

"Call you…?" Remus tried to ask.

"James?" Peter finished, his head popping up out of his blankets.

James could only smile.


	5. Great Hall Lily POV

"Lily? You've been acting odd all day," Marlene asked at dinner. She was right, too. Lily had been acting odd; she wasn't paying attention to anyone, not even in classes, and it had taken Marlene four tries to get her attention. Now Alice, Marlene, and Tracy were all looking at her with confused expressions.

"Sorry. I've had a lot on my mind," Lily answered, shoving mashed potatoes in her mouth so she didn't have to answer any more of questions.

"Since last night? What happened in Hogsmeade that's got you so out of it?" Alice asked before taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Way to get totally hammered last night, Evans!" Thomas Gaines yelled from behind Lily before running out of the Great Hall with his mates. Alice choked on her pumpkin juice and Tracy clapped her on the back.

"You did _what_ last night?" Marlene exclaimed. "Merlin's pants, Lily! Is that why you never came back? Were you hooking up with some bloke?" This is usually where Lily would huff and come with a harsh retort. However, since she was never good at lying to Marlene when the raven-haired beauty was giving her that 'don't lie to me' look, all Lily could do was blush and splutter.

"Merlin, Lily," Alice whispered, fully recovered from her coughing fit. "Who was it?"

"Yeah, Lils! Who was it? Was it Thomas?" Tracy squealed. "He's so good-looking! Not a heartthrob like the Marauders are, but still decent."

"Speak of the devils," Marlene murmured, looking in the direction of the doors. Lily looked over, knowing that it was a mistake because she would blush as soon as she saw him.

Her glance fell on Peter first. Though the less attractive of the four, still a nice-looking bloke. He was shorter than his friends, standing at about five feet seven inches. His dirty blond hair fell to his ear and his blue eyes were sharp. He was a bit stocky, most of it muscle from climbing the stairs, but some of it was the two extra serving of pudding he ate every night.

Lily's eyes drifted over to Remus. Definitely an attractive bloke. He had sandy blond hair that fell into his light brown eyes if he wasn't careful. He stood tall at roughly five feet eleven inches, an inch shorter than Sirius and James, and was slightly lanky but still a heartthrob. He and Tracy were good together.

Then Lily saw Sirius. He was attractive in a very majestic way, as if he were royalty. Well, he certainly fit the part. His grey eyes made him stand out and his fair fell gracefully around his face. His tall frame put him above everyone else and he gave off an air of superiority, though deep-down he was a total sweetheart.

Lily had nowhere else to look but at James. His messy hair, his hazel eyes framed by glasses, his swoon-worthy crooked smile that exuded confidence. Everything about him was attractive. Lily couldn't believe it had taken her this long to realize it, either.

"Hello, earth to Lily," she heard Alice say. She mentally shook herself and turned back to her friends.

"It was one of the Marauders," Tracy said out of nowhere.

"How can you tell?" Marlene asked, curiously glancing at the Marauders.

"She just spent the last minute and a half staring at them as they walked in and sat down. Her entire body followed them. It's the only likely conclusion," Tracy stated. Had she really? Lily looked down and realized that she was indeed facing the spot at which the Marauders had chosen to sit. Oops.

"Was it Sirius?" Marlene asked, somewhat cautiously. Lily snorted.

"I wouldn't kiss Black if my life depended on it," Lily said confidently. As long as they stopped asking—

"It wasn't Peter," Alice said. "He's with Ester Blanche."

"And it better not have been Remus or you and I will be having a duel," Tracy said. Everyone knew that Tracy was the only person in Gryffindor who had a chance at beating Lily in a duel, so that was a serious threat.

"I would never snog Remus, or Peter, or Sirius," Lily told them, laughing and shaking her head before turning back to her dinner.

It took her a while to realize what she had said. And what she hadn't.

"Or James!" she yelled. All her friends stared at her, bewildered.

"Since when is he James?" Alice asked in a hushed tone.

"Since she snogged him!" Marlene said, excitement dripping from her voice.

Tracy squealed. Alice punched her fist into the air. Marlene grinned knowingly at Lily.

Lily wished she could disappear.


	6. Great Hall James POV

"So, mate. How was it?" Sirius asked James as the Marauders made their way down the stairs to the Great Hall. They hadn't had any time to talk about what happened that morning thanks to classes. So now, here it was time for dinner, and they were just now having a conversation about it.

"Yeah, James. What even happened?" Pete asked, leading the way to the Great Hall. James sighed.

"I don't know. She was drunk so I brought her back, and she slept over. Then when she woke up she said she felt light-headed so I crouched in front of her, she was on the bed, and then before I knew it we were kissing. Then you blokes ruined it," James said, nudging into Remus, who pushed back.

"So," the werewolf said, smiling knowingly at his friend. "Evans?"

James laughed and ran in front of his friends, jumping off the last few stairs and punching the air. The rest of the Marauders laughed and followed James, tackling him and play wrestling. James couldn't be happier. That is, until he walked into the Great Hall. His eyes immediately fell on Lily. She and her friends were all staring at him, and he felt oddly euphoric that such an attractive group of females would give him and his friends the time of day.

There was Alice, who was tiny but adorable. She had silky brown hair and light eyes that were always smiling. She and Frank Longbottom had been giving each other glances for a while, and James thought that was a good match. He may just go talk to Frank and tell him to ask Alice out on a date.

Then there was the eccentricity who was Tracy Hartfield. Her long black hair and light green eyes were the exact opposite of her boyfriend, Remus, but they made it work. She was odd and hyper, but knew when to calm down and take it slow, just like Remus.

But not like Marlene McKinnon. That girl was a firecracker. She also had black hair, but her bright blue eyes were all-knowing. She was wise and feisty. She and Sirius would be great together. He knew they had snogged once, but that was back when Sirius thought he didn't like her. Now that they all knew Sirius fancied her, James thought they should give it another shot. He should talk to…

Lily. Marlene's best friend and the love of his life. She was staring at him, her emerald eyes wide, a light blush on her cheeks. Her eyes followed him as he and the Marauders walked to an empty spot at the Gryffindor table. She was biting her lower lip and he could feel his face heat up as he remembered the events from that morning.

"Mate," Sirius said, nudging him. James gave him a questioning look. "Evans is staring at us. Think her friends noticed?" The four of them looked down the table to see Lily blushing, her mouth open in disbelief, and Marlene glancing at them. Sirius blew the girl a kiss, but she ignored it, asking Lily a question. The red-head snorted and Marlene visibly relaxed. Tracy said something, causing Lily to laugh and shake her head. James turned to his plate, girl talk losing to his appetite. He and the Marauders all started filling up their plates.

"Or James!" they heard Lily say, loud enough for them to hear. Sirius barked a laugh and Remus and Peter looked at James, who raised his eyebrow in confusion. They shrugged then the four boys turned back to the group of girls, listening intently.

The girls were all leaning toward Lily, who looked highly embarrassed. Suddenly, Tracy squealed, Alice punched the air, and Marlene gave Lily a smile.

"What in the name of Godric were they talking about?" Sirius asked. Pete shrugged, glancing at James, who looked at Remus.

"I'm not going to beg my girlfriend for answers," he said, predicting their question. "Besides, from the context, I'm assuming it was about your snog session with Lily this morning."

"So, her friends approve?" James asked. The Marauders shrugged and went back to their dinners.

All James could think about was what his next step would be.


	7. Passageway Lily POV

Lily crumpled the note from James telling her to meet him behind the One-Eyed Witch statue. He had told her to be there at midnight, that he wanted to go into Hogsmeade for some butterbeers for the party they were having the next night. She didn't understand why he needed _her _to help. Probably because she was a Prefect and he needed someone to help him sneak out.

"Evans!" she heard. She let out a shriek and whirled around, wishing she had thought to grab her wand off her dresser. She didn't know much hand-to-hand combat, but her dad had taught her a few things…

"Ow! Bloody hell, Lily, it's me!" Lily stopped slapping wildly at her "attacker" and realized it was James that she had smacked in the face.

"Oh, James, I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!" she said frantically, pressing a hand against his already red cheek. James gave her a small smile and put his hand against hers, causing a blush to creep onto her face. She felt more than saw him lean in, and suddenly her brain caught up with her heart.

"So," she said, pulling away. "Butterbeer?" James looked confused, but she wasn't going to wait for him to ask for an explanation. "Let's go!" She turned and walked quickly down the corridor until she realized hers was the only set of footsteps, then faced James with a quizzical look.

"Come back here," he said. She made her way back slowly. "I've got a better way to get there." When she reached the statue, James placed his wand on it and muttered something under his breath. There was a noise of stone grinding against stone, and suddenly a passageway was revealed.

"Merlin," Lily breathed. "How long has this been here?" James shrugged. "Do you use it a lot?"

His laugh was wonderful. "Only every time there's a party, Lil," he chuckled. "Ladies first." He gestured toward the passage. Lily was uncertain. It was very dark in there.

"Erm, perhaps you should lead the way," she said. "Since you know what you're doing."

He nodded and made his way into the darkness. Lily swallowed her fear and followed.

Once she was inside, however, James touched the stone with his wand and the opening slammed shut, causing Lily to jump into his arms. She heard something hit the floor of the passage and clung tightly to James.

"Lily? Are you alright?" he asked quietly, petting her hair like her mum used to do when she was frightened.

"No," she squeaked. So much for Gryffindor courage.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She didn't say anything; her voice would betray her. "Lily, you're shaking. Are you crying?" She couldn't lie. She nodded. He pressed her tightly into his chest. "You're afraid of the dark."

She didn't want him to know that she was afraid of anything. She didn't want him to have anything to hold against her. But she also couldn't stay here. In the dark.

With James.

She nodded, and waited for the laughter.

James sighed and pressed his lips to her hair.

"I dropped my wand when you ran into me," he said. "I'll fetch it." He started to pull away.

"Don't leave me!" she cried, grabbing desperately onto him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her.

"It's alright, Lily, I've got you. I won't let anything get you. I promise."

And she believed him.


	8. Passageway James POV

James walked down the corridor, whistling to himself. He had sent a note to Lily after dinner that night telling her to meet him by the statue marking the secret passage to Honeyduke's. He needed to get some butterbeers and wanted Lily to come along; mostly so he could get her alone, but partly because he wanted her to see all the cool passageways he and the marauders had found over the years.

He saw her waiting by the One-Eyed Witch and his heart jumped in his chest. He'd had his doubts that she'd show up, but now that he could see her there his confidence was through the roof.

"Evans!" he said from behind her, hoping to surprise her.

Well, it worked, if the sting in his cheek was any indication.

"Ow! Bloody hell, Lily! It's me!" That got her to stop flailing wildly, and he saw the moment she recognized him.

"Oh, James! I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!" Was she expecting someone else? Was she here for another reason? But who else knew about the passage to Hogsmeade… If it was Sirius…!

She was touching his cheek.

It wasn't Sirius. She must have just been extremely frightened. He smiled at her and held her hand against his face, leaning in to kiss her. He couldn't resist…

"So! Butterbeer?" she said. James was slightly put out that she had pulled away, but decided that he would get a kiss from Lily before the night was over.

She'd begun to walk away from him, down the corridor. She obviously didn't understand the importance of the statue. Once she realized that he wasn't following, she turned and gave him a funny look.

"Come back here," he said. "I've got a better way to get there." When she was next to him, he pressed his wand against the statue and said the spell to open it. He glanced at Lily to watch her face when it opened. The look of awe on her face was so worth risking detention.

"Merlin," she whispered. "How long has this been here?" James had no idea, so he just shrugged. He and the Marauders had found it sometime in Second year. "Do you use it a lot?"

He laughed out loud. If only she knew. Then he realized she should know. He didn't want to keep secrets. "Only every time there's a party, Lil." He chuckled at the look on her face. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing toward the passage. Pfft. Ladies first. More like let me look at your arse as you walk in front of me.

"Erm, perhaps you should lead the way," she said. "Since you know what you're doing."

Damn.

He nodded anyway and made his way into the narrow passage, turning to make sure she followed. He didn't want her running off before he showed her the one of the coolest parts of the castle.

Once she had stepped into the passageway, he tapped his wand on the stone and it slammed shut. Suddenly, Lily's weight was thrown against him and he was so surprised that he dropped his wand. Damn. He was going to need that for light.

James noticed that Lily was being abnormally clingy. For Merlin's sake, she was willingly touching him. "Lily? Are you alright?" he asked. He was quite concerned. He thought perhaps she was afraid, so he stroked her hair like his mum did to him when the thunder crashed. When he was younger, of course.

He barely heard the "no" that squeaked from the red-head.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. She was shaking and James could feel the moisture from her tears through his shirt. "Lily, you're shaking. Are you crying?" She nodded. Merlin's pants, she was afraid! "You're afraid of the dark," he said.

She nodded again.

He sighed. Oh, his poor Lily-flower was afraid of the dark. He needed his wand; he didn't want the love of his life feeling this way.

He kissed her hair and said, "I dropped my wand when you ran into me. I'll fetch it," and then pulled away.

He shouldn't have.

Lily grabbed his arms fiercely, throwing her arms around his neck and holding onto him tightly. "Don't leave me!" she said, sobbing into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a desperate attempt to soothe her.

"It's alright, Lily. I've got you. I won't let anything get you, I promise," he said, stroking her hair.

He kept his promise until the night of October 31, 1981.


End file.
